Christmas in the Mansion: A tour of two historic homes this holiday season

Last winter we stepped back in time at The Thern Farm in New London on a foggy winter night, and although I didn’t snap a single picture I loved being in the moment, sharing stories with the volunteers and drinking hot apple cider in the kitchen. This year we made a point to take in a few more holiday displays at historic homes. Here’s a peek into two beautiful places we recently toured that were full of Christmas cheer!

Rahr-West in Manitowac

The Rahr-West is a mansion turned art museum that I have shared last year when we ventured to Manitowac during our Fall Travel Series. I have photographed the impressive exterior before and so I never thought to step back and get a picture of it in the snow.

As much as I praised the exterior detailing of the window trim, brick arches and wood porch ceiling- the interior details did not disappoint either!

The preserved wood paneling, door jams, stain glass windows and ornate radiators are marvelous. The entire place is so spacious, with an original floor plan boasting 13 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms! This is a must visit for any historic house lover- and admission is free!

This particular display honors the history Manitowac shares with the aluminum tree industry and the cookware Mirro. If you come to the area you can also experience the tinsel trees featured in the windows of their downtown businesses, similar to the Mid-Mod Manitowoc celebration we took in during their Christmas in July Event!

Besides themed events like this Christmas in the Mansion display- an addition on the back rotates out famous art exhibits that they bring in from all across the country. Making art accessible to everyone who can make a little time to appreciate it. The iconic 90’s subway drawings of Keith Haring are currently on display until February 15th!

Timm House, New Holstein

Although not as expansive inside as the Rahr-West Mansion, the beauty of this historic house in New Holstein has always made me do a double take driving past. While most of their hours of operation revolve around summertime, they always put on a holiday display with decorated trees in every room.

This year’s theme was The Nutcracker. I was excited to make time to see this place in all of its restored glory. My photos were meant to take in the old house details I gravitate towards, like the old light fixtures in the rooms.

The beautifully ornate hinges and door hardware-

And those fireplaces that warmed up every room with their glazed tiles and uniquely crafted surrounds.

The Timm House had a lot of similarities to The Thern Farm house and we ended our self-guided tour by drinking cider and eating cookies in the kitchen with one of the staff. I appreciate all the hours worked to accomplish events like this. All the time for setup and take down and the pure desire to preserve something- that left unguarded could prove too financially burdensome for the average home owner to maintain. These homes aren’t designed for modern living- but that doesn’t mean they are irrelevant. It doesn’t mean they should be chopped up or torn down. We often lose sight of the value of keeping architecture like this intact. I hope to continue to champion and support those working for a cause like this, as it ensures a future of enjoying design from a vast and varied past.